Template:POTD/2016-10-12

Picture of the day
Helix Nebula
The Helix Nebula is a large planetary nebula located in the constellation Aquarius. Discovered by Karl Ludwig Harding, probably before 1824, it is one of the closest to Earth of all the bright planetary nebulae, about 215 parsecs (700 light-years) away. It is similar in appearance to the Cat's Eye Nebula and the Ring Nebula.Photograph: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona